Ludgin Criticizes The Courant For Editorial Backing Opponent

Ludgin Criticizes Editorial

Candidate Objects To Backing Of Steele

September 05, 1992|By LEONARD FELSON; Courant Staff Writer

Robert F. Ludgin, the endorsed candidate of the Republicans in the 1st Congressional District, lashed out Friday at The Courant for endorsing his challenger, Philip L. Steele, in a Sept. 15 GOP primary.

Ludgin also charged that the newspaper's lack of coverage of the Republican primary campaign, coupled with two front-page stories on U.S. Rep. Barbara B. Kennelly, the Democratic incumbent, was proof that The Courant feared his candidacy because it posed the greatest threat to Kennelly.

"What I intend to do in the next 11 days is bring this editorial with me and remind [Republican voters] that those who want Kennelly to get re-elected are pushing Steele," Ludgin, 52, said in front of the newspaper's Broad Street offices.

Ludgin's press spokesman Laurence Cohen said they came to the newspaper "under the theory that it is the one probable technique that will allow us to get news coverage of this election." Ludgin, a registered Democrat, sought and won the endorsement of the 1st District Republican convention.

Ludgin challenged Courant Editorial Page Editor John Zakarian to publicly debate "every sentence of the editorial," and he challenged Zakarian to announce who The Courant would support in November, saying he suspected it was Kennelly.

In response, Zakarian said, "Mr. Ludgin is free to analyze the editoral as he wishes. Our interest, as stated in the editorial, is who between the two candidates would be the stronger one to face Barbara Kennelly."

Zakarian said who the paper endorses in November has not been determined yet. "A race has to be fought between the Republicans and Democrats. I can assure you, neither candidate has a lock on our endorsement."

son of popular radio personality Bob Steele. "I have far better name recognition than Mr. Ludgin. Outside of Hartford, he's pretty much unknown."

Steele also said he has a solid base of support among Republicans, with volunteers in every town in the district, while he said Ludgin's Republican support "comes almost exclusively from Hartford," where Ludgin served as an independent Democratic deputy mayor.

Noting that Republican state Chairman Richard Foley backed Ludgin, Steele charged that without Foley's support, Ludgin would have had "virtually no support" except in Hartford. Steele said three towns that voted for Ludgin at the Republican convention, Bloomfield, Cromwell and Andover, have since switched to Steele